Current events in the words of the students of Vinod Gupta School of Management, IIT Kharagpur

Author: anandusraj

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events and/ or publicly available information. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

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Donald Trump has banned immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries in the Middle East and Africa. The new US President has imposed a controversial 90-day ban on travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. But on the contrary, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is extending a warm welcome, irrespective of cast creed or race.

Justin Trudeau has a message to all refugees and immigrants. “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith”-the Canadian president tweeted.The refugee protection program of Canada is indeed a great example that all countries can follow. It has two main parts: The Refugee and Humanitarian Resettlement Program, for people seeking protection from outside Canada and the In-Canada Asylum Program for people making refugee protection claims from within Canada. Apart from this, the Canadian government also helps in the successful integration of all refugees.
Since 2015, Canadians have welcomed nearly 40000 refugees and they are expecting an increase in the inflow of refugees in 2017.Th is move is not only on humanitarian consideration but also aimed at higher economic growth through the contribution of refugees to the nation’s development. However, without any doubt, we can say that this great gesture by the Canadians towards the refugees is the truest exemplification of the idea, “Atithi Devo Bhava.”

The following article is based on my own interpretation of the said events and/ or publicly available information. Any material borrowed from published and unpublished sources has been appropriately referenced. I will bear the sole responsibility for anything that is found to have been copied or misappropriated or misrepresented in the following post.

The southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu is now witnessing a humongous bull fight between the opponents and proponents of Jallikattu.What is this commotion all about?
Jallikattu, also known as “eru thazhuvuthal”, is a traditional spectacle in which people try to show off their courage by taming a bull with their bare hands. According to some historical accounts, the sport has a history of 5000 years and is also considered as a peculiarity of Tamil culture. The festival has been criticized for being dangerous and for being cruel to the bulls.

It all started in 2011 when the Environment Ministry added bulls to its 1991 notification banning the training and exhibition of bears, monkeys, tigers, panthers and dogs. Earlier in 2014, the notification was challenged in the Supreme Court and was upheld. In 2016, during the NDA rule, the ministry modified its earlier notification and declared that the sport could continue despite the existing ban, on request of Tamil Nadu Government. This notification was challenged by PETA and other such welfare organizations in the apex court. This is on the basis of a research conducted by PETA’s investigators which found that the bulls were being trained cruelly for Jallikattu. Subsequently, a stay order was issued by the court.The protests against the stay order began all over Tamil Nadu and the arrest of 200 youngsters acted as a catalyst and led to a mass movement which spread across Tamil Nadu with an estimated four lakh people gathering in at least 100 locations.

What is the factor that has brought thousands of youngsters to the streets in Tamil Nadu in the name of Jallikattu? They say their fight is for their culture and Tamil pride. They also argue that as the traditional spectacle sees native male bulls being raised for the sole purpose of breeding, it works as an efficacious way to safeguard the native breeds of the region. But the opponents, which include PETA and other animal welfare associations, argue that the torture that is meted out to the bulls during play – instances of lemons being squeezed into the bulls’ eyes, chili powder rubbed on to their genitals, force-feeding of liquor and the list goes on.

What should be the final stand of government on this topic? Banning the sport will be fatal since it represents a tradition. Sometimes it is customary that these ancient traditional practices are left as they are. There are thousands of cattle farmers who depend on this sport for their living. If Jallikattu is banned, livestock keepers will be forced to abandon the raising of native livestock and this would lead to the extinction of native cattle species in Tamil Nadu. On the other perspective, there is no doubt that this so-called sport is dangerous to the people who participate in it and the spectators and it is also extremely cruel to the animal involved. So a proper law should be made which should ensure these ancient traditional practices are left as they are, but with rules to organize and regulate them.